Chicago Bulls guard Coby White told NBA reporter K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago that he wants to win the Most Improved Player of the Year Award.
“It would mean a lot to me,” White said. “Just to show the progress I’ve made and to set the example to younger guys around the NBA that people can count you out and say what you want about you. But as long as you stay true to who you are, keep working and stay humble throughout, things can come your way.”
White is having a terrific season for the Bulls. He’s averaging 19.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.2 blocks while shooting 45.4% from the field, 38.7% from beyond the arc and 83.4% from the free-throw line.
“I think everybody develops at their own pace. Some guys come in and are already super talented. Like Luka (Doncic), Trae Young and those guys come in and impact the game instantly,” White said. “I feel like everybody has their own story, their own journey and run their own race. I feel like my race was different than everybody else’s.
“I want to continue to provide the example that I’m in Year 5 and I’m still continuing to get better. I feel like in the NBA that if you’re a lottery pick or high pick in the first round and you’re not an All-Star in the first two years, then you’re a bust. That’s how I feel like everyone looks at it in today’s NBA. But I wanted to get better and stay on the right track.”
White is averaging 9.9 points more this season compared to last season. The UNC product has established himself as one of the top young guards in the NBA, as he has seven 30-point games this season, matching his total from the previous four seasons combined.
The Bulls drafted White with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. White has career averages of 13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
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